1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to motor vehicles, and more particularly, to a modular door for a motor vehicle.
2. Discussion
Manufacturers of motor vehicles have long been faced with the difficult task of constructing a door which not only provides easy ingress and egress but also performs a variety of other functions such as mounting a window, a window regulator mechanism and other door hardware. Conventionally, vehicle doors include an inner panel and an outer panel fixed together about their edges to form a hollow shell in the interior lower portion thereof. The inner panel typically includes relatively small access apertures for permitting the insertion of hardware such as the window regulator mechanism and a door actuation device. However, the insertion and subsequent attachment of the door hardware tends to be a time consuming process that is inconvenient for the vehicle door assembler and costly to the vehicle manufacturer.
Previous attempts to reduce the time required for door assembly have failed to produce satisfactory results particularly with regard to the appearance and structure of the door. In one example, an inner panel sub-assembly is produced off-line and then attached during one of the final steps of vehicle assembly. However, some portions of the inner panel sub-assembly are exposed to an occupant""s view after assembly. Unfortunately, difficulty often arises when attempting to match the color of the components painted on-line with the color of the components painted off-line. Another design proposes the use of a separate door plate for mounting hardware such as the window regulator and the window glass. However, this design requires modification of the belt reinforcement structure of the inner door panel to allow for insertion of the window.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a modular door assembly requiring less assembly time and effort at final assembly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a structurally sound and cost effective modular door assembly for use in a motor vehicle.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a modular door exhibiting superior aesthetic appearance by removing the attachment fasteners from view.
According to the present invention, a vehicle door includes a door shell coupled to a door module. The door shell includes an outer panel secured to an inner panel to define a cavity therebetween, the inner panel having an opening communicating with the cavity. The door module includes a cassette, an interior trim panel coupled to the cassette, and an attachment mechanism for securing the door module to the door shell. The attachment mechanism is visually hidden during normal operation of the door. Finally, the cassette is cooperative with the inner panel to provide a positive rest position prior to securing the door module to the door shell.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood however that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.